CAO Special - Keith Kelly: "I used up a lot of time, but at least I got to realise where I really wanted to go!"

My first degree was in Animal Science from UCD. I always loved animals and decided that I wanted to be a vet. I knew that if I didn’t get the points for veterinary that I could go through a backdoor and do a postgrad afterwards, but by the time I got to my final year, I realised the lifestyle of a vet wasn’t really what I wanted.

Being 17 or 18, it’s very hard to know what you want to do with your life and I found it difficult picking my career path so young. When you’re initially making that decision on what to study, you’re making it under pressure. What those four years did give me was the chance to develop. I realised I wanted to work with languages, as I love literature, reading and writing.

I returned to university to study French and Russian in Trinity aged 24. I knew what college was about and what to expect. I came in ready to work and I didn’t have to put up with the anxieties of fitting in. Those second four years helped me develop an idea of what I wanted to do. Alongside languages, I also loved news and foreign affairs, so that’s what led me to taking a master’s degree in journalism in DCU.

The undergrads prepared me for work life through discipline, working with deadlines and teamwork. You also get the opportunity to meet people and develop social connections and network, which is important as a journalist.

I think that during your first degree, you should allow time to expand into your twenties. Do your best to see it out, at the end of it you’ll have a bach- elor’s and be employable. Having it on your CV also does more wonders than you can probably appreciate.

By the time you finish you’ll have a more rounded and mature view of the world, and you can decide if you want to study further. There are so many postgraduate opportunities nowadays that you’re never going to be left wanting in terms of academic interests.

I used up a lot of time, but at least I got to realise where I really wanted to go!

Read the full education special in the Hot for 2024 issue of Hot Press, out now.